Luckily enough, I was blessed to be able to take some time off to recoup from the holidays. I was also blessed with the chance to brainstorm strategies for where I would to take EsmeshaCampbell.com moving forward. All I can say is, this year, I plan to be more transparent in my posts while giving each of my readers deeper glimpses of my personal life. I want each and every one of you to experience this journey of growth with me. First off, let’s get into my latest guilty pleasure: podcasts.

Podcasts have become an integral part of my everyday life. When I’m commuting from Point A to Point B, I’m learning that I’d rather stay influenced and motivated than attempting to keep up with this generation’s version of “mumble rap”. I’ve been on a quest to learn more about myself as a young woman rather than trying to stay up on what’s “in” and “cool”. Politics, embracing my journey, having fun and growing rich (in spirit) have become addictions. So, to feed those addictions, I immerse myself in the power of the digital airwaves. So. keep reading to find out who I currently stream on the daily!

1) On One with Angela Rye

Angela Rye is legit my best friend, in my mind. Following her on the ‘Gram and on CNN has allowed me to fall even more in love with her tenacious energy. On One with Angela Rye is a podcast for the politically-inclined millennial who wants to learn how to break ground in making a difference in their own community while being served the tea on how we, as a people, can break free of stereotypes and fight the power. Angela’s no-nonsense attitude and her refusal to back down from her own values and beliefs is what makes On One so genuine. Ms. Rye is not one to bite her tongue about any issue surrounding Trump’s current administration nor is she the biggest fan of liberal bashing.

Previous guests of her podcast include #ReclaimingMyTime enthusiast Congresswoman (Auntie) Maxine Waters, Reverend Al Sharpton, activist Jesse Williams, the amazing Common, Scott Budnick, Charlottesville Vice Mayor Wes Bellamy and many more. The dialogue is fresh, hilarious, woke and witty. Angela can hit her famous clapback (“boy bye!“) like no other and she’s unapologetically herself. What more can you ask for?

2) Oprah’s SuperSoul Conversations

Oprah’s SuperSoul Conversations is like chicken noodle soup for my spirit. No lie. It’s something about Oprah’s voice that, is not only soothing, but you suddenly feel that you can conquer the entire world! The podcast does update regularly (with a new feature almost every week) and the range of her guests is incredible – one of my absolute faves had to be her interview with former Vice President Joe Biden.

Joe Biden is like the uber-cool, college professor who spoke in nothing but riddles, but every single word he said presented a lasting impact on your adult life. Biden’s wisdom, passion and honesty resonated throughout this interview – he spoke about dealing with the death of his son Beau, he touched on why he did not run for president, he expressed his thoughts about Hillary’s 2016 campaign, he uplifted his tight-knit relationship with his family and he emphasized the significance of keeping hope alive. After listening to Biden attest the strength of faith, I was shedding tears from here to Timbuktu and I was an instant subscriber to the SuperSoul gang. If you’re looking for motivation beyond your years, give Oprah’s podcast a listen! #Oprah2020

3) The Breakfast Club

If you don’t listen to The Breakfast Club, you’re sleep. Angela Yee, DJ Envy and Charlemagne tha God have constituted my reason for waking up so damn early. They’re real, they’re raw and they’re fun. Although The Breakfast Club may not tackle heavy topics all the time, they do welcome the discussions of current events that do shake our society such as sexual harassment, race relations and even gender equality; however, they also seem to balance the weight of such heavy hitters with hysterical celebrity interviews and “hot topics” that address all the tea the people want to know. Thanks to these three, I stay up on everyone who is poppin’ at the moment.

Sidenote: Charlamagne is a loose canon and he is absolutely everything! He inspires me, each and everyday, to adopt the no-filter approach to life. #LivingMyBestLife

4) The Cost with Dana Blair

I’ve cyber stalked Dana Blair on Instagram since 2016. Her infectious spirit, her hustle and her sheer #BlackGirlMagic is unmatched. Dana Blair has worked as an on-air correspondent for Essence, she is an avid marathon runner and she is the founder of “I Have Never Been That Girl“. Dana’s journey has been somewhat similar to my own, meaning we both want to succeed, live and breath our passions while changing the lives of brown girls. When I discovered Dana started a podcast, it was a no-brainer for me to subscribe.

Although Dana’s The Cost is new to the airwaves, she’s already off to a great start. Her interview with Necole Kane of the Hello Necole brand gave me chills, had me speaking out loud to myself and even had me examining my own journey as a budding writer. The Cost builds dialogue that encourages its listeners to embrace professional challenges as welcome reminders of growth while looking fear in the eye and proclaiming, “Why not?” The show is centered around the personal accounts of featured guests who drop gems of wisdom and knowledge for listeners to internalize. To all the young women out there who need that extra push to keep going, give Ms. Blair’s podcast a go!

There ya have it! My top four podcasts, thus far. I’m curious to know what podcasts you guys are streaming at the moment. Who should I subscribe to next?